












                             The Silver Xpress Mail System
                  Getting the Most Out of the Silver Xpress Mail Door




                                  by: Gary N. Petersen

                                   Midwest Xpress BBS
                                     (913) 894-8835
                                   FidoNet 1:280/389
                                       RIME 5482



                                      June 5, 1994



                         (c) copyright  1994  Gary N. Petersen

               Portions of this document are the copyrighted property of
            Santronics Software and are used in this Guide with permission.





















     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 1







                                        Contents
                                        ========

     1.0  Introduction..............................................   4
       1.1  What is the Silver Xpress Mail System?..................   4
       1.2  Purpose of This Manual..................................   4
       1.3  About this Guide........................................   5
       1.4  Organization of This Manual.............................   5

     2.0  Quick Start: Using the Xpress Assistant...................   7
       2.1  Introduction to the Xpress Assistant....................   7
       2.2  Using the Xpress Assistant..............................   7

     3.0  Basic Mail Door Configuration.............................  14
       3.1  General.................................................  14
       3.2  The Xpress Assistant....................................  16
       3.3  The Configuration Menu..................................  16
         3.3.1  Selecting Mail Areas................................  17
         3.3.2  Selecting a File Transfer Protocol..................  17
         3.3.3  Selecting an Archiving Utility......................  18
         3.3.4  The Mail Options Menu...............................  18
           3.3.4.1  Keyword Searching...............................  18
           3.3.4.2  Search Message Text for Keywords................  19
           3.3.4.3  Receive Your Own Mail...........................  20
           3.3.4.4  Receive Group Mail..............................  20
           3.3.4.5  Choose Mail Packet Format.......................  20
           3.3.4.6  Use Packet Extension Counter....................  20
           3.3.4.7  Send Selected Areas Only........................  20
           3.3.4.8  Use Flex Assistant at Mail Scan.................  21
           3.3.4.9  Show Areas with Mail Only.......................  21
           3.3.4.10 Changing Mail Pointers..........................  21
         3.3.5  The Xpress Services Menu............................  21
           3.3.5.1  Xpress Vacation Saver...........................  22
           3.3.5.2  New File Lists..................................  22
           3.3.5.3  Receive Bulletins...............................  23
           3.3.5.4  Reply Receipts..................................  23
           3.3.5.5  Passwords.......................................  23
         3.3.6  The Terminal Options Menu...........................  23
           3.3.6.1 Screen Graphics..................................  24
           3.3.6.2  Menu Modes......................................  24
           3.3.6.3  Hot Keys........................................  25
         3.3.7  Save Current Configuration..........................  25
       3.4  Downloading a Mail Packet...............................  25
       3.5  Uploading a Reply Packet................................  25

     4.0  Advanced Mail Door Configuration..........................  26
       4.1  Flex Select Commands....................................  26
       4.2  Flex Assistant..........................................  28
       4.3  Vacation Saving.........................................  28



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 2







     5.0  Mail Door Maintenance.....................................  30
       5.1  Changing Mail Lastread Pointers.........................  30
       5.2  Personal Logfiles.......................................  32

     6.0  Using the Mail Door with the Silver Xpress Reader.........  34
       6.1  Current Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader Files.........  34
       6.2  Advantages of the OPX Mail Format.......................  34
       6.3  Offline Configuration Using the Silver Xpress Offline
            Mail Reader.............................................  35

     7.0  Using the Mail Door with Another Reader...................  37
       7.1  QWK Mail Options........................................  37

     8.0  Where to Go for More Information..........................  39
       8.1  How Can I Contact Santronics Software?..................  39
       8.2  Where Can I Get Support For the Silver Xpress Mail
            System?.................................................  39



     Copyright Information
     =====================
     This is a copyrighted document.  You are, however, given permission to
     reproduce and retransmit it as follows:

     - Make it available for online viewing on your remote host service or
       BBS.

     - Make it available for downloading from you remote host service or
       BBS.

     - Print, reproduce, and distribute it without charge to users of the
       Silver Xpress Mail System on your remote host service or BBS.

     The document may not be modified in any way, and must be distributed
     complete, including this copyright notice.

     Please contact the author, Gary N. Petersen, at the addresses listed
     in the document for more information, or with corrections and
     suggestions for future versions of the Guide.

     Portions of this document are the copyrighted property of Santronics
     Software and are used in this Guide with permission.

     Specific and unlimited permission is given for this document to be
     distributed in the Silver Xpress Mail System utilities and any other
     products of Santronics Software.





     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 3







                                   1.0  Introduction
                                   =================


     1.1  What is the Silver Xpress Mail System?

     Silver Xpress is an Offline Mail System which makes the gathering,
     reading, and writing of mail messages via computer bulletin board
     services (BBS) much faster and more convenient than reading and
     replying to mail online.  It consists of two parts, the Mail Door and
     Offline Mail Reader.

     The Mail Door is part of the BBS.  You enter the Mail Door through the
     BBS when you want to collect new mail or send new messages you've
     created.  This manual deals primarily with using the Silver Xpress
     Mail Door.

     The Offline Mail Reader is the second part of a mail system.  It is a
     program you install on your computer.  The Offline Mail Reader
     understands the special formats that the Mail Door uses to bundle many
     messages into a single file, or mail packet, and can convert the mail
     packet into a format which is easy for you to read.

     The Silver Xpress Mail System works with mail packets in two formats:
     QWK and OPX.  The OPX mail format was developed specifically for
     Silver Xpress and offers many performance and capability advantages
     over the QWK mail format.  These are discussed in Chapter 6.

     The Mail Door does work quite well with QWK format mail readers.  Some
     features are limited, however, to the OPX mail format because the QWK
     format was simply not designed with the flexibility and capability to
     support them.

     For these and other reasons, you will get the most out of the Mail
     Door if you use the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader.  The current
     version is 4.01 and is available as SXR401.ZIP.  Additional
     information on the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader is given in
     Chapter 6.


     1.2  Purpose of This Manual

     This manual is a User's Guide for the Silver Xpress Mail Door.  It
     provides much the same information that is available through the
     online help in the Mail Door along with examples and typical commands
     required to configure and optimize the Mail Door for your use.

     You do not need the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader to use the Mail
     Door.  Silver Xpress supports the popular QWK mail format and can be
     used with any Offline Mail Reader that can read and write QWK packets.


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 4








     There are significant advantages to using the Silver Xpress Offline
     Mail Reader with the Mail Door, however.  These are a result of the
     OPX mail format that is unique to Silver Xpress.  Many of these
     advantages are discussed later in this manual.


     1.3  About this Guide

     This User's Guide will be periodically updated as changes or additions
     become necessary.  Suggestions, corrections, or questions not
     addressed in this Guide can be addressed to:

       Gary Petersen

       Midwest Xpress BBS
       FidoNet 1:280/389
       RIME 5482
       CompuServe 70651,2240

     Contact me via FidoNet NetMail, RIME routed mail in the Common
     Conference, or in any of the Silver Xpress support conferences:

       FidoNet:     XPRESS_SUPPORT
                    XPRESS_SYSOP
       RIME:        Silver Xpress
       CompuServe:  Santronics Software Forum  (GO PCVENJ)


     1.4  Organization of This Manual

     This User's Guide is divided into several sections, generally by topic
     or area of interest.  The sections are as follows:

     1.0   Introduction:  The section you are reading.

     2.0   Quick Start:  An introduction to the Xpress Assistant, which
           provides the fastest way to get started with the Mail Door.

     3.0   Basic Configuration:  Discussion of the basic configuration
           options which must be defined to use the Mail Door.

     4.0   Advanced Configuration:  Discussion of many of the more powerful
           options in the Mail Door which make Silver Xpress even more
           useful for you.

     5.0   Maintenance:  Discussion of additional services which the Mail
           Door can provide.




     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 5







     6.0   Using the Mail Door with the Silver Xpress Reader:  Discussion
           of the options which can be used only through the Silver Xpress
           Offline Mail Reader.

     7.0   Using the Mail Door with Another Reader:  Setting up the Mail
           Door to work best with QWK-only mail readers.

     8.0   Where to Go for More Information:  A list of resources where you
           can turn to for additional information.











































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 6







                      2.0  Quick Start: Using the Xpress Assistant
                      ============================================


     2.1  Introduction to the Xpress Assistant

     The Xpress Assistant is a powerful, easy to use automated online
     introduction to the Silver Xpress Mail Door.  The Xpress Assistant
     will walk you through the main features of Silver Xpress and prompt
     you with configuration questions to select mail conferences to scan,
     set an archive utility and file transfer protocol, and download your
     first mail packet.

     The Xpress Assistant is particularly useful for callers who are not
     very familiar with Silver Xpress or offline mail messaging.  More
     experienced callers may wish to skip the Xpress Assistant and
     configure the Mail Door directly.  Detailed configuration of the Mail
     Door is discussed elsewhere in this Guide.

     2.2  Using the Xpress Assistant

     When you select the Xpress Assistant (using option X from the Main
     Menu), the following menu will pop up.


     ------------------- Xpress Assistant ----------------
      [E]....Explain what a BBS is?
      [A]....Explain Xpress with Example
      [N]....New User Information
      [Q]....Return to Previous Menu

     -----------------------------------------------------

     The six steps that the Xpress Assistant walks through to configure the
     Mail Door to your preferences and download a mail packet are as
     follows:

        -  Select message conferences.
        -  Define a file compression utility.
        -  Define a file transfer protocol.
        -  Scan the selected conferences for new mail.
        -  Combine the new mail found into a mail packet and download the
           packet from the BBS to your computer.
        -  Download the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader, if you wish.








     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 7







     Select Message Conferences
     ==========================

     The Silver Xpress Mail Door will present a list of the message
     conferences available on the BBS and allow you to choose which
     conferences you want to scan.  The Mail Door will display an asterisk
     (*) next to the conferences you have selected.  If you do not see any
     asterisks, you have not yet selected any conferences.

     The list of available mail conferences in the Mail Door will generally
     look like the following:


     Available Mail Conferences (* means selected mail area)
      *[   1] - General Discussion     *[   2] - Private Sysop
      *[   3] - Xpress                 *[   4] - FidoNet: NetMail
      *[  21] - F:Xpress_Support       *[  22] - F:Xpress_Sysop
      *[  23] - F:AllFix Help          *[  24] - F:RA Multi-Node
      *[  25] - F:RA Sysop Support     *[  26] - F:RA Utilities
      *[  29] - F:BBS Standards        *[  30] - F:BinkleyTerm
      *[  33] - F:Maximus              *[  34] - F:Meadow
      *[  35] - F:Moderator            *[  36] - F:Muffin
      *[  39] - F:Offline              *[  40] - F:PCBoard Sysops
      *[  41] - F:ProBoard Sysops      *[  42] - F:QuickBBS Support
      *[  43] - F:QuickBBS Pro         *[  44] - F:RBBS-PC Support
      *[  45] - F:SuperBBS Support     *[  46] - F:Sysop
      *[  47] - F:TAG BBS Support      *[  48] - F:TAG Multi-Node
      *[  49] - F:Wildcat! Support     *[  50] - F:RADIST_SYS
       [  57] - F:Fantasy Sports       *[  58] - F:OS/2
      *[  59] - F:OS/2 BBS             *[  60] - F:OS/2 DOS-Windows
       [  61] - F:OS/2 Hardware         [  62] - F:OS/2 Programming
      *[  63] - F:Team OS/2            *[  64] - F:Shareware
      *[  65] - F:UWSA                 *[  66] - F:White House
      *[  69] - F:Lora BBS Support     *[  70] - F:FastEcho Support
      *[  71] - F:OS/2 DOS BBS         *[ 101] - R:RIME News
       [ 102] - R:Uplink               *[ 103] - R:Silver Xpress
      *[ 104] - R:PostLink Support     *[ 105] - R:Sysops
      *[ 110] - R:Shareware            *[ 111] - R:Common
      *[ 114] - R:Engineering          *[ 115] - R:ProComm
      *[ 116] - R:BBS Software         *[ 117] - R:Wildcat Sysops
      *[ 120] - R:Mail Doors           *[ 121] - R:OS/2
      *[ 124] - R:Remote Access        *[ 125] - R:Offline Mail
      *[ 128] - R:TQM                  *[ 129] - R:PCBoard
      *[ 134] - R:Desqview             *[ 201] - K:KC Sysop
      *[ 202] - K:GKCSA                *[ 203] - K:IBM Discussion
      *[ 204] - K:KC 4 Sale            *[ 205] - K:KC Area_Net
      *[ 206] - K:KC FidoNet Help      *[ 207] - K:KC Events





     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 8







      *[ 210] - K:KC Other             *[ 211] - K:KC OS/2
     Select/Deselect mail areas by typing the number or name in brackets.
       [L]ist Areas     [D]etail Listing  [S]elected Areas  [M]ail Pointers
       [F]ind <string>  [R]eset <areas>   [Q]uit            [?] for Help


     You can select mail conferences by either typing the conference name,
     as it is listed in the table, or conference number.  You can select
     more than one conference at a time by typing in the conference numbers
     with a space between each number, and pressing ENTER when complete.

     You can type L and press ENTER to redisplay the table of available
     conferences.  When you have finished, press Q and ENTER to continue
     with the Xpress Assistant.


     Select a File Compression Utility
     =================================

     The Xpress Assistant then prompts you to select a File Compression
     Utility.  PKZip Version 2.04 is generally pre-selected by default.

     Silver Xpress will display a list of file compression utilities which
     your sysop has installed.  A sample list follows as an example.  The
     compression method noted with an asterisk (*) is the current selected
     compression utility.

     Mail Compression Method

      * [Z]....Phil Katz's PKZip 2.04G
        [N]....Phil Katz's PKZip V1.xx
        [L]....LhArc V2.10
        [J]....Robert Jung's ARJ program
        [A]....Phil Katz's PKPak (SEA compatibility mode)
        [P]....NoGate's PAK program
        [O]....Rahul Dhesi's ZOO program

     Select Method :

     Each compression method has its benefits.  The PKZip utilities are
     perhaps the most common, at least in the IBM compatible BBS world.


     Select a File Transfer Protocol
     ===============================

     The final step in collecting mail from the Silver Xpress Mail Door is
     actually downloading the mail packet file from the BBS to your
     computer.  As is the case with any other file transfer, you will need
     to define a file transfer protocol so that Silver Xpress and your


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                         Page 9







     communications program (ProComm Plus, Telix, QModem, etc.) can
     negotiate the file transfer over the telephone connection.

     Many different file transfer protocols are available.  The list below
     is a sample of some which your sysop may have installed on the BBS.
     Relatively current protocols, such as ZModem, are among the more
     common and reliable methods of transferring files.  ZModem is pre-
     selected for you by default.

     Using ZModem is recommended if your communications program supports
     it.  As with the list of file compression utilities, the file transfer
     protocol indicated with an asterisk (*) is the method currently
     selected.

     File Transfer Method

      * [Z]....Z-Modem (Batch) Recommended!
        [Y]....Y-Modem (Batch)
        [G]....Y-Modem G (Batch)
        [X]....X-Modem/CheckSum
        [K]....X-Modem 1K
        [1]....XModem-1K-G

     Select Method :


     Scan for New Mail
     =================

     After defining a file compression method and file transfer protocol,
     the Xpress Assistant will scan the conferences you selected for new
     mail.  A typical mail scan screen that will be displayed during the
     mail scan is as follows:


     <<< Mail Scan >>>
     Last Usage/Download Date : May 31, 1994  8:06:36pm
     Mail Packet Format       : OPX
     Highest Message Read     : 78
     Scan Area   Description        Total  High  Last  New  Direct  Keyword
             1  General Discussion     3    28    28    0       0        0
             2  Private Sysop         32    81    77    3       1        0
             4  FidoNet: NetMail      32    78    78    0       0        0
            21  F:Xpress_Support     226   226   223    3       0        0
            22  F:Xpress_Sysop       173   173   167    6       2        2
            23  F:AllFix Help        299   299   289   10       0        2
            24  F:RA Multi-Node      164   164   156    8       0        1
            25  F:RA Sysop Support  1092  1092  1040   52       0        7
            26  F:RA Utilities       963   963   919   44       0       11
            29  F:BBS Standards      135   135   134    1       0        0


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 10







            30  F:BinkleyTerm        605   605   591   14       0        1
            33  F:Maximus             23    23    22    1       0        0
            34  F:Meadow             166   166   157    9       0        2
            35  F:Moderator           89    89    85    4       0        0
            36  F:Muffin            1047  1047  1010   37       0        6
            39  F:Offline            135   135   132    3       1        1
            40  F:PCBoard Sysops     217   217   212    5       0        1
            41  F:ProBoard Sysops    488   488   414   74       0        3
            42  F:QuickBBS Support   402   402   397    5       0        2
            43  F:QuickBBS Pro        28    28    27    1       0        0
            44  F:RBBS-PC Support    241   241   236    5       0        1
            45  F:SuperBBS Support   118   118   115    3       0        0
            46  F:Sysop              276   276   271    5       0        2
            47  F:TAG BBS Support    407   407   401    6       0        0
            48  F:TAG Multi-Node       8     8     8    0       0        0
            49  F:Wildcat! Support  1245  1245  1211   34       0        5
            50  F:RADIST_SYS          82    82    82    0       0        0
            58  F:OS/2              3186  3186  3109   77       0       13
            59  F:OS/2 BBS           533   533   523   10       0        3
            60  F:OS/2 DOS-Windows   305   305   300    5       0        2
            63  F:Team OS/2          276   276   269    7       0        2
            64  F:Shareware          585   585   556   29       0        8
            65  F:UWSA               451   451   443    8       0        1
            66  F:White House         96    96    93    3       0        2
            69  F:Lora BBS Support   326   326   315   11       0        3
            70  F:FastEcho Support   161   161   157    4       0        0
            71  F:OS/2 DOS BBS       194   194   188    6       0        0
           101  R:RIME News           21    21    21    0       0        0
           103  R:Silver Xpress       57    57    56    1       0        0
           104  R:PostLink Support    88    88    67   21       0        3
           105  R:Sysops             325   325   266   59       0        6
           110  R:Shareware          289   289   245   44       0       11
           111  R:Common             346   346   251   95       0       24
           114  R:Engineering         80    80    74    6       0        1
           115  R:ProComm             61    61    47   14       0        2
           116  R:BBS Software        55    55    44   11       0        6
           117  R:Wildcat Sysops      17    17    12    5       0        4
           120  R:Mail Doors          15    15    13    2       0        0
           121  R:OS/2               844   844   673  171       0       13
           124  R:Remote Access       10    10    10    0       0        0
           125  R:Offline Mail       181   181   158   23       0       13
           128  R:TQM                  4     4     4    0       0        0
           129  R:PCBoard             12    12    10    2       0        2
           134  R:Desqview            27    27    20    7       0        2
           201  K:KC Sysop           590   590   572   18       0        3
           202  K:GKCSA                0     1     0    0       0        0
           203  K:IBM Discussion       0     1     0    0       0        0
           204  K:KC 4 Sale           36    36    35    1       0        0
           205  K:KC Area_Net         17    17    11    6       0        0
           206  K:KC FidoNet Help      8     8     8    0       0        0


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 11







           207  K:KC Events            1     1     1    0       0        0
           210  K:KC Other             0     1     0    0       0        0
           211  K:KC OS/2             49    49    49    0       0        0
                                              Total    979       4      170
     Approximate Compressed Mail Packet Size : 447590 (05:25)
     [GO] Packup Mail [A] Pack All [P] Pack Personal [Q] Abort [?]Flex Help
     FLEX:


     At this point, the Mail Door is waiting for direction from you on what
     mail to pack and download.  The most basic instruction you can give is
     for the Mail Door to pack all mail.  This is done using either the GO
     or A commands.

     A [ENTER] tells the Mail Door to pack all mail.

     GO [ENTER] also tells the Mail Door to pack all mail, because you have
     not given it any other instruction.  The other instructions you can
     use are described in the FLEX COMMAND section of this document.

     You can also instruct the Mail Door to automatically quit back to the
     BBS or log off when it finished downloading the mail packet.  This is
     done as follows:

     GO G [ENTER] will initiate the mail packing and log you off of the BBS
     when the file transfer is complete.  NOTE: This feature is definable
     by the sysop, so it may not be supported on every BBS you call.

     GO Q [ENTER] will initiate the mail packing and return your online
     session back to the BBS when done.


     Download the Mail Packet
     ========================

     Once the file compression is completed, the Mail Packet Download Menu
     will be displayed.

     File Name(s)  : MWXPRESS.OPX
     Total Size    : 450852
     Transfer Time : 05:30 mins
     Protocol      : ZModem

     Press [ENTER]  Begin Download,
           [C]      Change File Transfer Protocol,
           [G]      Download file and Hangup when finished,
           [ESC]    Abort Download

     DOWNLOAD: Enter Download Command :



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 12








     If you wait at this prompt, the on-screen timer will run down to zero
     and the file transfer will automatically begin (if the file transfer
     protocol supports that).  You can press ENTER to begin the file
     transfer automatically, or press G to start the file transfer
     immediately and disconnect from the BBS when the transfer is
     completed.

     For this example, press ENTER or wait until the timer runs to zero.


     Download the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader
     ==============================================

     Once you have downloaded a mail packet, you can log off of the BBS and
     read the packet with your offline mail reader.  The Silver Xpress Mail
     Door supports two mail formats, QWK and OPX.  These were the first two
     mail formats developed for FidoNet style BBS messaging systems.

     The QWK mail format is the more common of the two formats.  The OPX
     mail format offers many more features and much greater power and
     flexibility, however.  These features are discussed in Chapter 6.

     Mail packets using the QWK format can be read by any offline mail
     reader which fully supports the published QWK standards.  If you use
     the OPX mail format, however, you must have the Silver Xpress Offline
     Mail Reader on your computer.  There are many advantages to this,
     though.  These are also discussed in Chapter 6.

     The Xpress Assistant assumes that you prefer to use the OPX mail
     format.  If you prefer the QWK format, that can be changed in the
     Configuration Menu.  Instructions for doing this are presented in
     Chapter 4.

     If you wish to try the OPX mail format and the Silver Xpress Offline
     Mail Reader, the Xpress Assistant makes it easy for you to download
     the current version of the reader.  Immediately after the file
     transfer is completed, the Xpress Assistant will ask if you want to
     download the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader.  Answer yes to the
     prompt, select the proper version of the reader for your system, and
     the Xpress Assistant will transfer the file to you!











     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 13







                           3.0  Basic Mail Door Configuration
                           ==================================


     3.1  General

     Configuration of the Mail Door can be performed three ways: The Xpress
     Assistant, Online Configuration, and Offline Configuration.

     The Xpress Assistant was discussed in the previous chapter.  It is
     mentioned briefly in this chapter only for reference.  Online
     configuration is performed using the Configuration Menu and the
     options available in and below it.  The balance of this chapter
     discussed online configuration.  The third, and perhaps most
     convenient, way is through offline configuration.  Offline
     configuration can be performed only with the Silver Xpress Offline
     Mail Reader.  It is discussed in Chapter 6.

     The Main Menu is where all of your Silver Xpress activities will
     start.  The Main Menu looks like this:


     |----------------------------------------------------------------|
     |                    Silver Xpress Main Menu                     |
     |----------------------------------------------------------------|
      [#]..System Information          [A]..Download Door User Guide
      [L]..Personal Log                [R]..Download Xpress Reader
      [?]..Show Help                   [X]..Xpress Assistant
      [C]..Configuration               [S]..Change Selected Areas

      [D]..Scan & Download OPX Packet  [K]..Scan & Download QWK Packet
      [U]..Upload Your Mail            [V]..Check Vacation Mail
      [Q]..Return to Main System       [G]..GoodBye (Logoff)
     ------------------------------------------------------------------
     [1159 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     The options available from the Main Menu are as follows:

     [#] System Information
         This option presents some basic information about the Mail Door
         and BBS.

     [A] Download Door User Guide
         You can download this User Guide in ZIP or plain ASCII text
         format.

     [L] Personal Log
         If enabled by the sysop, a record of your activities in the Mail
         Door.


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 14








     [R] Download Xpress Reader
         You can download the latest Silver Xpress Offline Mail Readers and
         utilities with this option.

     [?] Show Help
         Display online user help for the Mail Door.

     [X] Xpress Assistant
         Start the Xpress Assistant as described in Chapter 2 of this
         User's Guide.

     [C] Configuration
         Access the Configuration Menu.

     [S] Change Selected Areas
         Quick access to the available mail conferences on the BBS.  This
         option is identical to the option in the Configuration Menu, but
         is repeated here for quick and easy access.

     [D] Scan and Download OPX Packet
         Start a mail scan for new messages and prepare an OPX mail format
         packet.  NOTE: If you have selected QWK mail format packets in the
         Configuration Menu and use this option, that selection will be
         overridden and you will get an OPX mail packet.

     [K] Scan and Download QWK Packet
         Start a mail scan for new messages and prepare a QWK mail format
         packet.  NOTE: If you have selected OPX mail format packets in the
         Configuration Menu and use this option, that selection will be
         overridden and you will get an QWK mail packet.

     [U] Upload Your Mail
         Instruct the Mail Door to receive your Reply Mail Packet.  NOTE:
         You use this option regardless of whether you're using OPX or QWK
         mail packets.

     [V] Check Vacation Mail
         If your sysop has enabled the Silver Xpress Vacation Mail feature
         and you have turned it on, this command will give you access to
         your mail packets and allow you to download them.

     [Q] Return to Main System
         Quit back to the BBS.

     [G] GoodBye
         Logoff of the BBS without exiting the Mail Door.  NOTE: This
         option is available only if your sysop enables it.




     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 15







     Most of these commands are discussed in greater detail elsewhere in
     this Guide.



     3.2  The Xpress Assistant

     The Xpress Assistant is a powerful, easy to use automated online
     introduction to the Silver Xpress Mail Door.  The Xpress Assistant
     will walk you through the main features of Silver Xpress and prompt
     you with configuration questions to select mail conferences to scan,
     set an archive utility and file transfer protocol, and download your
     first mail packet.  Use of the Xpress Assistant is discussed in the
     previous chapter.

     The Xpress Assistant is particularly useful for callers who are not
     very familiar with Silver Xpress or offline mail messaging.  More
     experienced callers may wish to skip the Xpress Assistant and
     configure the Mail Door directly.  Online configuration of the Mail
     Door is discussed in the balance of this chapter.

     3.3  The Configuration Menu

     Almost all of the items you can customize in the Silver Xpress Mail
     Door are definable through the Configuration Menu.  It looks like
     this:

     ------------------ Configuration Menu ----------------
      [S]....Select Mail Areas,   - 120 selected
      [F]....File Transfer Method - ZModem
      [A]....Archiver Method      - Phil Katz's PKZip 2.04G

      [M]....Mail Options
      [X]....Xpress Services
      [T]....Terminal Options
      [C]....Save Current Configuration
      [?]....Show help
      [Q]....Return to Main Menu
     -------------------------------------------------------
     [1158 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     The menu lists some basic information about your setup: the number of
     mail areas selected, the file transfer protocol, and the archive
     utility.  It also is your gateway to the other configuration options.
     These are discussed in more detail below.






     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 16







     3.3.1  Selecting Mail Areas

     Selecting mail conferences to scan is an easy process in Silver
     Xpress.  The basic procedure is described in the previous chapter.
     One additional option not discussed earlier is the Find command.

     The Mail Door will search through the conference titles for you to
     find the conferences that match a keyword you define.  This feature is
     accessed through the Select Mail Areas command, S from the
     Configuration Menu.  When you select this option, a list of the
     available message conferences is displayed followed by this menu:

     Select/Deselect mail areas by typing the number or name in brackets.
      [L]ist Areas     [D]etail Listing   [S]elected Areas  [M]ail Pointers
      [F]ind <string>  [R]eset <areas>    [Q]uit            [?] for Help

     At this menu, select option F, for Find Areas.  The command syntax is:

        F <keyword>  where <keyword> is the word you want to scan for.

     For example, the command F Xpress on my system brings up the following
     list:


     Enter Number/Name or Command : f xpress
     Mail Conferences having the keyword XPRESS ....
      *[    3] - (      Xpress      ) Local Xpress
      *[   21] - ( F:Xpress_Support ) F:Xpress_Support
      *[   22] - (  F:Xpress_Sysop  ) F:Xpress_Sysop
      *[  103] - ( R:Silver Xpress  ) R:Silver Xpress
     Select/Deselect mail areas by typing the number or name in brackets.
      [L]ist Areas     [D]etail Listing   [S]elected Areas  [M]ail Pointers
      [F]ind <string>  [R]eset <areas>    [Q]uit            [?] for Help
     Enter Number/Name or Command :


     You can then select conferences (by typing in the conference numbers,
     separated by spaces or one per line, and pressing ENTER) from this
     menu.

     When you are finished selecting conferences, press Q ENTER to return
     to the Configuration Menu.


     3.3.2  Selecting a File Transfer Protocol

     This process was described earlier in the previous chapter.  You
     select a file transfer protocol using the F command at the
     Configuration Menu.



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 17










     3.3.3  Selecting an Archiving Utility

     This process was also described earlier in the previous chapter.  You
     select an archive utility using the A command at the Configuration
     Menu.


     3.3.4  The Mail Options Menu

     The Mail Options Menu is where you define much of how the Mail Door
     acts upon your mail.  It is accessed using the M command from the
     Configuration Menu.  The Mail Options Menu is as follows:

     --------------------- Mail Options --------------------
      [K]....Define Search Rules (Keywords)
      [B]....Search Message Body w/ Keywords - NO
      [Y]....Receive Your Own Mail           - YES
      [G]....Receive Group Mail              - YES
      [P]....Choose Mail Packet Format       - OPX format
      [C]....Use Packet Extension Counter    - YES
      [S]....Send Selected Areas Only        - NO
      [F]....Use Flex Assistant at Mail Scan - NO
      [O]....Show Areas with Mail Only       - NO

      [D]....Change Mail Pointers By Date
      [N]....Change Mail Pointers By Number
      [R]....Restore Entry Mail Pointers
      [?]....Show help
      [/]....Main Menu
      [Q]....Return to Previous Menu
     -------------------------------------------------------
     [1157 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     3.3.4.1  Keyword Searching

     The Silver Xpress Mail Door will allow you to search through all new
     mail for messages which contain keywords that you define.  You can
     then direct the Mail Door to download only keyword mail in certain
     areas.  Silver Xpress supports an unlimited number of keywords.  They
     are defined using the K command from the Mail Options Menu.


     Selection of Key Words

      [ 1]  ALL
      [ 2]  XPRESS


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 18







      [ 3]  SILVER
      [ 4]  SX
      [ 5]  CLINTON
      [ 6]  GORE
      [ 7]  BUDGET
      [ 8]  MAIL
      [ 9]  QWK
      [10]  OFFLINE

     [Type Keyword, or D <number> to delete, L to list, ? for Help, Q to
     exit]


     All of your keywords are listed in this menu.  You simply type in new
     keywords, one at a time, to add to the list, or type D # to delete
     existing keywords.  For example, D 5 would delete "CLINTON" as a
     keyword.

     Negative keywords, popularly known as "twit filters" are also
     supported by the Mail Door.  Simply add a minus sign in front of
     keywords and all mail matching that keyword will be excluded from the
     scan table and your mail packets.  This feature is most often used
     with names, but also works with words, as found in Subject Headers.

     For example, a keyword of -Jurassic Park would exclude all messages
     with "Jurassic Park" in the header or message text, depending on how
     you have the following option set.


     3.3.4.2  Search Message Text for Keywords

     Unlike other mail doors, Silver Xpress allows you the option of
     searching just the message header information (TO and FROM fields and
     the SUBJECT line) for keywords or searching both the header
     information and the actual message text!  This option slows down mail
     processing, but is very useful to limit the number of messages you
     download in a conference to those you are specifically interested in.

     If you want to search only the message header information for
     keywords, set this option to NO using the B command in the Mail
     Options Menu.  Otherwise, if you want to search the entire message
     text for your defined keywords, set this option to YES.

     NOTE: This feature, developed and introduced in Silver Xpress, is
     particularly useful for genealogy enthusiasts!







     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 19







     3.3.4.3  Receive Your Own Mail

     The Y command from the Mail Options Menu lets you define whether you
     want mail that you wrote included in your mail packets.  If you would
     like to see the mail you have written (the recommended option), set
     this option to YES.


     3.3.4.4  Receive Group Mail

     Group Mail is a special type of message that is written once but
     appears to everyone who reads it as if it were addressed specifically
     to that person.  If you want to receive Group Mail (the recommended
     option), set this option to YES using the G command in the Mail
     Options Menu.


     3.3.4.5  Choose Mail Packet Format

     The Silver Xpress Mail System supports two mail formats: QWK and the
     more powerful OPX format.  This option, accessible through the P
     command in the Mail Options Menu, allows you to define which format
     you wish to use.  If you choose the QWK format, you can also define a
     few QWK mail options using this command.  QWK mail options are
     discussed in Chapter 7.


     3.3.4.6  Use Packet Extension Counter

     Silver Xpress allows you the option of using the standard extensions
     of QWK and OPX for all of your mail packets using a counter to avoid
     possible duplicate file name problems.  If you choose to use the
     Packet Extension Counters, set this option to YES using command C from
     the Mail Options Menu.

     Packet Extension Counters revise the mail packet extension from QWK to
     Q01, Q02, etc., all the way to Q99.  The counter is increased by one
     each time you download a mail packet, and resets to 01 after you
     download the Q99 or O99 packet.

     This is particularly useful for communications programs that do not
     automatically adjust the file name if a file by that name already
     exists in the download directory.


     3.3.4.7  Send Selected Areas Only

     For larger BBS's with many hundreds of mail conferences, you may want
     to set this option to YES to improve the speed of your offline mail
     reader.  If you enable this option, your mail packets will include


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 20







     conference definitions of only the mail areas you select.  All others
     will be excluded.

     The effects of this are twofold:  Your offline mail reader will
     operate quicker, since it doesn't have to sort through all of the
     unused conferences, and you will not be able to write messages to
     conferences you have not selected, since they will not be listed in
     the mail packet.

     This option is definable through the S command in the Mail Options
     Menu.  It should be set to YES if you notice performance problems in
     your mail reader and the BBS you call has many hundreds of mail
     conferences.


     3.3.4.8  Use Flex Assistant at Mail Scan

     This option, when set to YES via the F command in the Mail Options
     Menu, instructs the Mail Door to ask you about each mail conference as
     it is scanned.  It gives you the option of selecting all mail, keyword
     mail, mail addressed to you, or skipping the mail altogether.  A small
     menu pops up with these commands after each mail conference is scanned
     for new mail.


     3.3.4.9  Show Areas with Mail Only

     This option, set with command O in the Mail Options Menu, tells the
     Mail Door whether or not to skip over mail conferences which do not
     have new mail available.  If set to YES, only the conferences with new
     mail will be listed during mail scans.


     3.3.4.10  Changing Mail Pointers

     The final three options; D, N, and R, in the Mail Options Menu (other
     than the help and quit menu commands) are one way to adjust your
     lastread mail pointers.  These features are discussed in Chapter 5.


     3.3.5  The Xpress Services Menu

     The Xpress Services Menu, available using the X command from the
     Configuration Menu, is where you define some default actions of the
     Mail Door.  The menu is as follows:







     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 21







     -------------- Xpress Service Options ---------------
      [V]....Xpress Vacation Saver    - OFF
      [F]....Scan for New Files       - ON
      [C]....Change File Scan Date    - 05/31/94  8:06pm
      [L]....Ansi New Files List      - NO
      [B]....Receive Bulletins        - ON
      [A]....Auto Start Xpress        - NO
      [S]....Send REPLY Receipt       - NO
      [E]....Erase Mail Recording
      [R]....Reader Password
      [D]....Door Password
      [?]....Show help
      [/]....Main Menu
      [Q]....Return to Previous Menu
     -------------------------------------------------------
     [1157 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     3.3.5.1  Xpress Vacation Saver

     The Silver Xpress Vacation Saver feature allows you to have the Mail
     Door automatically scan for new mail, create a mail packet, and hold
     it for you each day.  This can be used either while you area away from
     the BBS for any length of time or as an everyday mail event to
     automatically prepare a mail packet for you.

     The Vacation Saver feature is discussed in Chapter 4.


     3.3.5.2  New File Lists

     The Silver Xpress Mail Door is aware of the file areas installed on a
     BBS and can generally scan them for files which are new since the last
     time you downloaded mail through the Mail Door.  This option allows
     you to view those lists with your offline mail reader, if it is
     equipped to deal with the list format.  Set this option, command F in
     the Xpress Services Menu, to YES if you would like to receive new file
     lists.

     This option works only with the standard file directory system format
     built into the BBS.  If a BBS uses customized file area software, a
     new file list may not be available.

     Command C on the Xpress Services Menu allows you to adjust the
     effective date of the new file scan.  Command L defines whether the
     new file list will be in ANSI or ASCII format.  Set it to YES for ANSI
     file lists or NO for ASCII lists.





     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 22







     3.3.5.3  Receive Bulletins

     The BBS you call may generate online bulletins which can be included
     in your mail packets so you can read them offline.  The B command in
     the Xpress Services Menu controls whether these bulletins are included
     in your mail packets, if available.  Set it to YES to receive
     bulletins.


     3.3.5.4  Reply Receipts

     Reply receipts are a feature that works only with the Silver Xpress
     Offline Mail Reader.  If you turn this option on by setting command S
     in the Xpress Services Menu to YES, the Mail Door will prepare and
     download a small file, XRECEIPT.DAT, when you upload a reply packet.
     The Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader loads this file and will put a
     notice on the reply packet stating that it has been successfully
     uploaded.


     3.3.5.5  Passwords

     The Silver Xpress Mail System has, among its many built-in security
     systems, the capability to assign passwords to your mail sessions.
     You can assign a password that must be entered whenever you enter the
     Mail Door (command D in the Xpress Services Menu) or a separate
     password that must be entered to open a mail packet downloaded from
     the Mail Door (command R in the Xpress Services Menu).  Reader
     passwords work only with the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader.


     3.3.6  The Terminal Options Menu

     Several online characteristics of your Silver Xpress sessions are
     defined in the Terminal Options Menu.  This menu is as follows:

















     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 23







     ----------------- Terminal Options  -----------------
      [C]....Ansi Color              - ON
      [T]....TTY (No Color)          - OFF
      [A]....Avatar Graphics         - OFF
      [H]....Menu Hot Keys           - ON
      [I]....IBM Characters          - ON
      [N]....Novice Menu Mode        - ON
      [V]....Veteran Menu Mode       - OFF
      [X]....Gold Xpress Menu Mode   - OFF
      [G]....Skip RIP Graphics       - NO

      [?]....Show help                 [/]....Main Menu
      [Q]....Return Previous Menu
     -------------------------------------------------------
     [1157 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     3.3.6.1 Screen Graphics

     The first three options define what type of screen graphics you will
     see while logged into the Mail Door.

     To see ANSI graphics, set option C to YES.  Setting option T to YES
     turns off ANSI graphics for an ASCII text mode display.  Option A
     enables Avatar graphics, which are similar to ANSI, but faster.
     Option I enables the use of IBM characters to draw on-screen boxes.

     Option G in the Terminal Options Menu controls whether RIP graphics
     are used.  The Silver Xpress Mail Door ships fully equipped with RIP
     graphics screens, but your sysop may have chosen to not install them.
     Setting option G to NO will allow RIP graphics to be displayed, if
     your sysop uses them and your communications program (RIPTerm, for
     example) supports them.


     3.3.6.2  Menu Modes

     Options N, V, and X control the menu mode which the Mail Door will use
     whenever you login.  Setting option N to YES (the recommended setting)
     enables the Novice Menu Mode.  Fully descriptive commands and
     information is presented to you when this menu mode is enabled.
     Setting option V to YES turns on the Veteran Menu Mode, which displays
     only the valid keys, time, and prompt.

     The third option, X, is for the future use of Gold Xpress.  Gold
     Xpress is an advanced communications utility which will interact very
     closely with the Silver Xpress Mail Door.  It is not yet available,
     but is scheduled for release late in 1994.  In the mean time, this
     option should be set to NO.



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 24








     3.3.6.3  Hot Keys

     Option H in the Terminal Options Menu defines whether hot keys will be
     used.  Hot keys cause the Mail Door to act on which ever key you press
     without waiting for a ENTER or RETURN keypress.  The advantage of
     setting this option to YES is that the door reacts very quickly to
     your commands.  The disadvantage is that you cannot stack commands.


     3.3.7  Save Current Configuration

     The C option from the Configuration Menu saves all configuration
     information you have set up in the other menu selections.  You should
     save your configuration whenever you change it, preferably before
     returning to the Main Menu to download mail.


     3.4  Downloading a Mail Packet

     Downloading a mail packet in Silver Xpress is easy.  From the Main
     Menu, simply press D if you are using the OPX mail format or K is you
     are using the QWK format.  The Mail Door will begin scanning mail and
     will present you with the options discussed earlier in the previous
     chapter.


     3.5  Uploading a Reply Packet

     Uploading a reply packet is even simpler than downloading.  Regardless
     of the mail format you have chosen, press U at the Main Menu to upload
     a reply packet.  The Mail Door will prompt you to begin the upload and
     will list the expected file name which your communications program may
     automatically use.  Once the reply packet has been uploaded, the Mail
     Door will decompress it and toss the messages to the areas you
     selected.

     The Mail Door will prompt you with a successful upload message when
     the process is completed.













     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 25







                         4.0  Advanced Mail Door Configuration
                         =====================================


     4.1  Flex Select Commands

     Flex Select Commands are perhaps the most advanced feature in the
     Silver Xpress Mail System.  They allow you to very accurately and
     specifically define which mail you want to pack and download, not only
     by conference (which all mail doors do), but also by topic, whether or
     not the messages were written to you, when they were posted, and other
     means.

     You can use Flex Select Commands immediately after the Mail Door
     finishes scanning for new mail.  The menu at this point looks like
     this:


     [GO] Packup Mail [A] Pack All [P] Pack Personal [Q] Abort [?]Flex Help
     FLEX:


     Pressing ? at this point will bring up a Flex Select Command Help
     Menu.

     The most basic Flex Select Command is A, which selects all new
     messages.  Typing A [ENTER] at this point would instruct the Mail Door
     to include all new mail in your packet.

     Almost all other Flex Select Commands are based on the conference
     numbers.  The Flex Select Commands are as follows (substitute the
     conference number for the # symbol in the following table):

     Commands That Apply to All Selected Conferences
     -----------------------------------------------
       A      Pack all new messages
       D      Pack only direct messages (mail that is addressed to you)
       K      Pack only keyword messages (mail that matches the keywords
              you have defined)
       P      Pack only personal messages (direct and keyword mail)


     Commands That Apply Only to Specified Conferences
     -------------------------------------------------
       #      Pack all new messages in area #  (same as A)
       -#     Skip new mail in area # (last read pointers ARE updated)
       #A     Pack all messages in area #
       #D     Pack only direct messages in area #
       #H     Skip new mail in area # but do NOT update last read pointers
       #K     Pack only keyword messages in area #


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 26







       #P     Pack only personal messages in area #
       #Fn    Pack only the first n messages in area #
       #Ln    Pack only the last n messages in area #


     Commands That Apply to Areas not Otherwise Specified
     ----------------------------------------------------
       *      Pack all messages in the remaining areas
       *D     Pack only direct messages in the remaining areas
       *K     Pack only keyword messages in the remaining areas
       *P     Pack only personal messages in the remaining areas


     Other Flex Select Commands
     --------------------------
       GO     Accept the Flex Select Commands Entered and Begin Packing the
              Mail
       FLEX   Enable the Flex Assistant
       LIST   Display the Scan Table
       MAIL   Display the Mail Table as Modified by Flex Select Commands
       TABLE  Display the Scan Table (same as LIST)

       DFILE  Display Any Files Which Are Attached to Your Mail
       EFILE  Erase Any Files Which Are Attached to Your Mail

       CLEAR  Clear the Flex Selections
       DFLEX  Display the Current Flex Select Command Line
       EFLEX  Erase the Stored Flex Select Command Line
       GFLEX  Get the Stored Flex Select Command Line and Apply It
       SFLEX  Save the Current Flex Select Command for Later Use


     In addition, two modifiers may be stacked with the GO command.  GO G
     instructs the Mail Door to use the current Flex Select Command,
     download the mail packet, and logoff (GoodBye) after the file transfer
     is complete.  This option needs to be enabled by the sysop.  GO Q
     starts the mail packing and quits out of the Mail Door back to the BBS
     when the file transfer is complete.

     Several examples of Flex Select Command usage follow:

       Flex Select Command    Description
       ----------------------------------
       D                      Pack only direct mail and GO.

       *D 1 21 22 GO G        Pack direct mail in all areas, get all new
                              mail in areas 1, 21, and 22, GO, and logoff
                              of the BBS when complete.




     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 27







       GO Q                   Accept the Flex Select Commands entered (if
                              any), GO, and quit the Mail Door back to the
                              BBS when done.

       *A 16K 21P 22D         Select all messages in all areas, but limit
                              mail downloaded to keyword mail in area 16,
                              personal mail in area 21, and direct mail in
                              area 22.

       SFLEX [Flex Command]   Store the specified Flex Select command in
                              the Mail Door for future use.

       -41 *K                 Get keyword mail in all areas except 41,
                              which is limited to keyword mail.

       110L30                 Get only the 30 most recent messages in area
                              110.


     4.2  Flex Assistant

     The Flex Assistant is  "decide while you go" method of using Flex
     Select Commands in the Mail Door.  When you enable the Flex Assistant,
     either by setting the F command in the Mail Options Menu to YES or
     typing ASSIST or FLEX at the Flex Select prompt, the Mail Door will
     scan each selected mail conference one at a time and prompt you with
     the following options:


         A)  Get all new messages in the area
         D)  Get only direct mail in the area
         K)  Get only keyword mail in the area
         P)  Get only personal mail (direct and keyword) in the area
         S)  Skip all mail in the area and update its lastread pointers
         H)  Skip all mail in the area but do not update its lastread
             pointers
         F)  Get the first X amount of mail
         L)  Get the last X amount of mail


     Flex Assistant allows you to select mail "on the fly" while scanning
     it in an easy to remember format.


     4.3  Vacation Saving

     The Vacation Saver is another Mail System feature developed for Silver
     Xpress.  It is a utility that allows you to have the Mail Door
     automatically gather your mail and create mail packets once each day
     and hold them until you call in to download them.  This is useful for


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 28







     (as the name suggests) vacations where you will be unable to call the
     BBS for several days and do not want to miss any mail.  It also works
     quite well to automatically gather your mail each day into a mail
     packet that is ready for you to immediately download when you log in,
     saving the time to scan for new mail and create the mail packet.

     Vacation Saver is enabled by turning the V option in the Xpress
     Services Menu to YES.  Your sysop must turn this feature on, however,
     so you may not necessarily be able to use it.

     When you call for mail, you can check for saved Vacation Saver mail
     packets using the V option from the Main Menu.  The Mail Door will
     list your packets and prompt you to download them.  A list of Vacation
     Saver packets will also pop up if you get into the Mail Door and try
     to scan for new mail before downloading the packets.





































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 29







                               5.0  Mail Door Maintenance
                               ==========================


     5.1  Changing Mail Lastread Pointers

     Even though Flex Select Commands can be used to limit the mail you
     download, there are occasions when you might prefer to manually reset
     lastread pointers.  One such time is the first time you download mail
     from a conference or the first time you download mail from a BBS.  The
     Silver Xpress Mail Door offers you three ways to do this.

     The "brute force" method is to manually change the lastread pointers
     for each conference you wish in the Configuration Menu.  To do this,
     get into the Mail Door Configuration Menu and select S for Select Mail
     Areas.  After the list of available mail areas is displayed, you will
     see the following menu:


     Select/Deselect mail areas by typing the number or name in brackets.
      [L]ist Areas     [D]etail Listing   [S]elected Areas  [M]ail Pointers
      [F]ind <string>  [R]eset <areas>    [Q]uit            [?] for Help
     Enter Number/Name or Command :

     The M option in this menu presents a table of current lastread
     pointers similar to the following:


     Available Mail Conferences (* means selected mail area)
      *[    1] - General Discussion       28
      *[    2] - Private Sysop            77
      *[    3] - Xpress                    0
      *[    4] - FidoNet: NetMail         78
      *[   21] - F:Xpress_Support        223
      *[   22] - F:Xpress_Sysop          167
      *[   23] - F:AllFix Help           289
      *[   24] - F:RA Multi-Node         156
      *[   25] - F:RA Sysop Support     1040
      *[   26] - F:RA Utilities          919
      *[   29] - F:BBS Standards         134
      *[   30] - F:BinkleyTerm           591
      *[   33] - F:Maximus                22


     The number on the right is the current lastread pointer for each
     message area.  Selecting the R option from the menu allows you to
     manually reset each area.  The format for this command is R #, where #
     is the conference number you want to adjust.  The Mail Door will list
     the high message number for the area and the current lastread pointer
     then prompt you for the new lastread pointer.


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 30








     The other two ways to reset lastread pointers are both in the Mail
     Options Menu.  Option D allows you to globally change lastread
     pointers by the date each message was posted.  Using this, you could
     reset all conferences to messages posted in the last 7 days, for
     example.

     Option N allows you to change lastread pointers by number.  This is
     the command you will see when you select that option:


       Enter Reset Command or ? for help :


     The Reset Command needs to be in one of the following formats:


     R *
     ======================================================================
     This command will display each mail area you have selected and prompt
     you to change the lastread pointers, conference by conference.


     R * value
     ======================================================================
     This command will automatically set the lastread pointer in each
     selected mail area to the value defined.  See the definition below of
     acceptable values.

     Examples:

       R * 20       Set lastread pointers in selected conferences to 20.

       R * HIGH-30  Set the lastread pointers in selected conferences to 30
                    below the highest.  This allows you to download the
                    last 30 messages in each selected conference.


     R [area# or name] [area# or name].....[area# or name]
     ======================================================================
     This will display the areas provided, one by one, and allow you to
     change the lastread pointer for each one.

     Example:

       R 20 32 2 4 5   In this example, you are asking Xpress to display
                       areas 2, 4, 5, 20, and 32, and to allow you to
                       change the lastread pointer for each one.




     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 31







     R [area# or name] [area# or name].....[area# or name] = value
     ======================================================================
     This will display the areas provided, but automatically change the
     lastread pointer to the specified value.

     Example:

       R 1 4 7 23 = HIGH-20  This example will set the lastread pointer to
                             20 messages below the highest for areas 1, 4,
                             7, and 23 automatically.

                             This means you will only get the last 20
                             messages in those particular areas.


     The value parameter in this command can be any of the following:

       number        -  Set the lastread pointer to the number.

       LAST-amount   -  Set the lastread pointer to the amount BELOW the
                        current lastread pointer.

       LAST+amount   -  Set the lastread pointer to the amount ABOVE the
                        current lastread pointer.

       HIGH-amount   -  Set the lastread pointer to the amount BELOW the
                        current lastread pointer.


     5.2  Personal Logfiles

     The Silver Xpress Mail Door includes a built-in user logfile generator
     that tracks your activities in the Mail Door, if the sysop has enabled
     the feature.  One use of the Logfiles is for troubleshooting, if you
     are having difficulty with uploading or downloading messages.  It will
     help your sysop to help you get going better in Silver Xpress.

     You can view your logfile, if enabled, using the L option from the
     Main Menu.  Your logfile may look something like this:


     Searching....
     01 Jun 07:11:38 USER BEGIN TRUE GARY PETERSEN @ 14400
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER LAST MSG READ : 78
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area   2 (  Private Sysop   ) -    3 A
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  21 ( F:Xpress_Support ) -    3 A
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  22 (  F:Xpress_Sysop  ) -    6 A
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  23 (  F:AllFix Help   ) -   10 A
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  24 ( F:RA Multi-Node  ) -    8 A
     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  25 (F:RA Sysop Support) -   52 A


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 32







     01 Jun 07:15:02 USER  Area  26 (  F:RA Utilities  ) -   44 A
     01 Jun 07:15:06 USER  Area 103 ( R:Silver Xpress  ) -    1 A
     01 Jun 07:15:06 USER  Area 110 (   R:Shareware    ) -   44 A
     01 Jun 07:15:06 USER  Area 111 (     R:Common     ) -   24 P
     01 Jun 07:15:06 USER  Area 120 (   R:Mail Doors   ) -    2 A
     01 Jun 07:15:06 USER  Area 121 (      R:OS/2      ) -  171 A
     01 Jun 07:15:08 USER  Area 125 (  R:Offline Mail  ) -   23 A
     01 Jun 07:16:18 USER Pack MWXPRESS.O23 w/ Phil Katz's PKZip 2.04G
     01 Jun 07:22:30 USER DNLD MWXPRESS.O23 w/ ZModem 06/01/94  7:16am
     01 Jun 07:23:04 USER END----------------------------------------


     If your sysop has enabled personal logfiles, you should examine yours
     every now and again, and delete it to conserve hard disk space.






































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 33







                 6.0  Using the Mail Door with the Silver Xpress Reader
                 ======================================================


     6.1  Current Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader Files

     The current version of the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader is 4.01.
     Separate versions for real and protected mode configurations are
     available, though you can run either version with the same
     configuration files and registration.  Current file names are as
     follows:

          File Name     Description
          ---------     -----------
          SXR401.ZIP    Basic Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader archived
                        file for real mode applications.
          SXR401P.ZIP   Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader archived file
                        for protected mode applications.
          SXR401PU.ZIP  Replacement executable files to "upgrade" from
                        the real mode reader to the protected mode
                        version.
          DPMI110.ZIP   DOS Protected Mode Interface: This, or another
                        DPMI, is required to run the Protected Mode
                        version of the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader.
          SXCLR202.ZIP  Screen color customization utility.



     6.2  Advantages of the OPX Mail Format

     The OPX mail format is superior to QWK in many ways.  Here are but a
     few:

      o Powerful Silver Xpress OPX mail format allows for longer TO, FROM,
        and SUBJECT fields and large mail creation among other powerful
        not possible in QWK.

      o 100% Fido Network Capability allows for Direct Electronic Mail
        Communications and a whole slew of FidoNet Services such as FidoNet
        File Requesting and File Attachment.

      o Support for FidoNet based UUCP Internet addressing.

      o Direct Support for Pure Internet Addressing with systems using the
        Silver Xpress Mail Door!  An industry first!

      o Tremendous Xpress Forms Processing System for many types of new
        offline applications such as Store and Forward Order Entry,
        Offline questionnaires, Scheduling, Database Inquiries, etc.



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 34







      o The world's fastest mail search system with Boolean rules and
        "Search and Act" logic.

      o Powerful embedded mail language called Xpress Windows and Xpress
        to create fancy messages with windows and color!

      o Support for PCBoard and Wildcat! Mail Color Codes.

      o Interactive off-line configuration system.

      o File Upload and Attachment System. (When used with the Silver
        Xpress Mail Door).

      o Xpress Remote Services System for customized applications.

      o Unlimited message length support.

      o Speech Friendly Interface with intelligent Mail System for the
        Blind.

      o Receipt File System tells Packet Manager which REPLY packets were
        uploaded.


     6.3  Offline Configuration Using the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader

     Many of the options and configuration settings in the Mail Door can be
     defined remotely with the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader.  These
     options include:

      o Selected Mail Areas.

      o Keywords for Scanning Mail.

      o File Transfer Protocol.

      o Archive Utility.

      o Use ANSI Graphics in the Mail Door.

      o Download Mail You Created

      o Use Mail Door Menu Hot Keys

      o Include New File Scans

      o Accept Group Mail

      o Enable Vacation Saver



     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 35







     and many others.  All can be set up when reading an OPX mail packet
     with the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader and uploaded in a reply
     packet to the Mail Door!

















































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 36







                      7.0  Using the Mail Door with Another Reader
                      ============================================


     7.1  QWK Mail Options

     If you are using another offline mail reader with Silver Xpress Mail
     Door, you're using the QWK mail format.  There are a few options which
     can (and sometimes must) be set in the Mail Door to overcome problems
     with certain offline mail readers.  These are defined in the QWK Mail
     Options Menu, which is accessible using the M option from the Mail
     Packet Type Menu.

     The QWK Mail Options Menu is as follows:


     ------------------- QWK Mail Options ----------------

      [K]....Strip Kludges Lines   -  YES
      [C]....Message Header Case   -  AS IS
      [N]....Send NDX Index Files  -  YES
      [W]....Perform Word Wrapping -  NO

      [?]....Show help
      [/]....Main Menu
      [Q]....Return to Previous Menu
     --------------------------------------------------------
     [1157 mins] Gary, Enter Command :


     Certain QWK offline mail readers cannot deal with kludge lines, which
     are used to include routing information in some QWK mail messages.
     The K option in the QWK Mail Options Menu allows you to define whether
     these kludge lines are stripped from mail messages before they are
     combined into a QWK mail packet.  If your offline mail reader cannot
     deal with kludge lines, set this option to YES.

     QWK format mail messages generally allow only capital letters in the
     header information (TO and FROM names and the SUBJECT field).  Some
     more recently released QWK mail readers allow upper and lower case
     letters.  Some expect only capital letters, though.  The C option in
     the QWK Mail Options Menu defines whether this information is modified
     at all.

     NDX Index Files are required by some QWK offline mail readers to
     function properly.  Not all mail doors generate them, and not all QWK
     readers need them.  The N option in the QWK Mail Options Menu gives
     you control over whether this file is generated by the Mail Door and
     included in your QWK mail packet.  If your reader cannot work properly
     without this file, set this option to YES.


     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 37








     Some QWK mail doors send the main text of each message in a single
     line that must be word-wrapped by the offline mail readers.  A few QWK
     readers cannot do this, however.  If your offline mail reader is not
     displaying messages from the Mail Door properly, you may need to set
     this command to YES via the W option in the QWK Mail Options Menu.














































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 38







                         8.0  Where to Go for More Information
                         =====================================


     8.1  How Can I Contact Santronics Software?

     Santronics Software can be reached at:

       Santronics Software
       30034 SW 153 Ct.
       Leisure City, FL  33033

       Orders:   800-845-6944
       Voice:    305-248-3204
       BBS:      305-248-7815 (The Xpress Support Center BBS)
       FAX:      305-242-1482
       Internet: santronics@aisbbs.com


     8.2  Where Can I Get Support For the Silver Xpress Mail System?

     Support for Silver Xpress is available through the following avenues.

     FidoNet
     =======
     XPRESS_SUPPORT    Moderator: Scott Nikont
       Primarily for the Silver Xpress Offline Mail Reader, but questions
       about other Santronics Software products will be answered also.

     XPRESS_SYSOP      Moderator: George Fliger
       Primarily for the Silver Xpress Mail Doors.

     OFFLINE           Moderator: Paul Knupke Jr.
       Support for and discussion of all offline mail products.  Many Team
       Xpress people are active in this conference, including Hector
       Santos.

     SHAREWRE          Moderator: MaryJane Choate
       Support for and discussion of all shareware products.  Many Team
       Xpress people are active here as well.


     RIME/RelayNet
     =============
     SILVER XPRESS: Channel 459 Host: Gary Petersen
       Support for all Silver Xpress products.






     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 39







     CompuServe
     ==========
     Santronics Software Library and Forum  Host: Hector Santos
       Support for all Silver Xpress products.  The Santronics Software
       areas are located in the PC Vendor J Forum (GO PCVENJ).


     Voice Support
     =============
     Contact Santronics Software directly for voice support between 9:00
     a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time at 305-248-3204.

     Registered users are entitled to one hour of voice support on the toll
     free line, 800-845-6944.  Those who purchase the Priority Service Plan
     are entitled to unlimited voice support on the toll free line.





































     Silver Xpress Mail Door User's Guide                        Page 40


